Closing the Doors of Death
by Lyza K
Summary: A one-shot in which Leo, Frank, and Hazel are trying to close the Doors of Death. One of them won't make it out. No spoilers for Mark of Athena


**So this is just something I thought of while obsessing about Mark of Athena. I haven't read it yet, but from what I've heard, Frank and Leo don't get along. This is sort of a scenario in which they are friends.**

**I purposefully left any possible feelings Leo might have for Hazel completely ambiguous (It sort of throws a wrench into the whole 'Frank and Leo are best buddies' thing)**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

Leo held his flaming hand in front of him like a torch, running and dodging falling rocks, Frank and Hazel right behind him. His heart and feet were pounding in rhythm as his breath came shorter and sweat trickled down his forehead. All around them, the shades and spirits of those long dead were being sucked passed them, wailing as they went. It was majorly creepy.

_Where's Lightning dude to fly you out when you need him? _

_Why'd I have to blast that stupid rock. One rock, one! And the whole place falls apart._

Just as his legs were about to give out, they entered an open cavern, and were temporarily safe from falling rocks. Leo stopped running and started trying to refill his burning lungs with air. It was then that he saw them - the Doors of Death - looming silver and menacing above them. They seemed to be made of tin, and more than thirty feet high, wide open, and behind them was the darkness of the Underworld, which all the dead souls were being pulled into.

_Whoa. Metal doors, that's so cool! _

Leo whistled. "So the Underworld is basically like, a tin can?"

Frank, still gasping for breath shot him annoyed look. "Leo... now is not...the..."

Hazel had recovered from their desperate run, and was looking at the Doors with her eyes wide, and suspiciously wet. "Frank, I...I have to go in."

Frank immediately recovered, and straightened up in panic. "Wh-what? Don't say stuff like that, we're going to close them, that's all. Then...then we'll find the others and get out of here." His eyes darted around wildly. Leo felt sick.

Hazel looked down and shook her head, the tears falling faster. "I can feel it... _pulling_ at me. They won't close until...until everything's_ right_ again. I was never supposed to be here..."

Frank, a fierce yet broken expression on his face, hugged her tight. "Yes you were, you _were_ supposed to be here, Hazel Levesque. We would never have made it this far without you." Hazel just sobbed harder into his shoulder.

Leo looked away, tears burning the backs of his own eyes.

_Why do all the people I'm closest to meet with tragic ends that I cause and can't help them with? _

_It's like I'm like a raging fiery ball of destructo-Leo, burning stuff wherever I go._

When he had regained control of himself, he turned back to his friends. Hazel's tears were still falling, but Frank now had a determined, and somewhat scary, look in his eyes. He looked surprisingly like Clarisse.

_Well what d'ya know. He really is a son of Ares._

"There's no way I'm letting you go in there." Frank's voice was uncharacteristically hard as he released Hazel from his hug. She stumbled backwards, eyes uncomprehending as the big guy turned towards the doors that Leo now found not as cool as before.

There was a moment of brief silence, except for the crashing of the tunnels in the distance and the wailing from the slowing stream of shades.

Then, emotionlessly, Frank spoke. "They'll close as long as your slot's filled." And he strode forward.

_And there they go again._

"Frank, no!" Hazel had stopped crying; her eyes were now filled with desperation instead of tears. "Leo! Do something!" she screamed at him. Frank broke into a run.

Leo had frozen, his mind trapped in flashbacks of the day eleven years ago when his mother had died.

_I was never able to save anyone Haze._

_Don't ask me to._

Frank had almost reached the doors. Hazel was running after him. "Don't you dare, Frank Zhang! Don't you _dare_!"

_I have to do something._

_I won't let this happen again._

Leo extended his hands, and a wall of fire burst up in the doorway.

Frank skidded to a halt. Even from a distance, Leo could see the instinctive fear in his eyes.

_At least the stick was good for something._

Leo ran forward; he needed to get there before Frank regained his composure and walked through the flames anyway, stick be damned.

Luckily, he was still staring fearfully at the flames when Leo caught up to him and Hazel, who was now holding on to Franks arm incase he tried to make a break for it. She shot a grateful look at Leo. _Thank you,_ she mouthed.

Seeing them together, two halves of a whole, made Leo realize what he had to do. Neither of them would be able to bear it if they had felt they had caused the other's death.

_Odd-man out. For once it's a good thing._

He sauntered forward and punched Frank in the arm, smiling fakely.

"Take care buddy. You're the only one other than me who actually sort-of knows how to sail the Argo II. I'm counting on you." He winked and gave Frank a thumbs up.

Still stunned by the fire, Frank could say nothing, but shook his head weakly.

Leo didn't have to say anything to Hazel. They knew each other too well.

_Make sure he doesn't blame himself Haze._

_Don't blame yourself either for that matter._

Before either of them could object, he bounded up to the Doors of Death and stepped inside the flames. He felt a little heat, but not much.

_Ah, being flammable. Nothing like it._

Leo turned back and waved to them both as the doors closed shut in front of him.

He wanted to make sure they would say that, to the very last, Leo Valdez had a goofy grin on his face.

* * *

**Ha-ha, yes I'm evil, killing off my own favorite character.**

**And, whoa, whose idea was it to write a tragic Leo-fic when I'm already losing my mind from a book I haven't read yet?**

**Oh, mine, right. Whoops. **

**So, please tell me what you think. :) **

**(And oh, if you could avoid putting spoilers for MOA if you're reviewing before say, Tuesday, that would be much apprieciated)**


End file.
